Oil burner



May 23, 1933.

F. W. BARHOFF ET AL OIL BURNER Filed July 17, 1931 lfietented May 23, i933 enlists W. BARHQFJF AN'D FRED W. BARHQFF, 31%, (F HARTFORD, @UNNECTICUT, AS= SIGNQES 1%) THE BUNSEN @l'lh BURNER, CQRYQRATIQN, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT,

one nnannla Application filled July 117,

This invention relates to means for electrically ignitingthe fuel of oil burners of the type provided for stoves or ranges, that a have metallic bases which are surmounted by perforated cylindrical shells, the bases having annular grooves containing wicks with openings between the wick grooves for the upward ilow otair for supporting combustion and having a central intake for the admission oi oil, with passages leading therefrom to the wick grooves. It is somewhat difi'cult to light such burners as they have been previously constructed on account of the inaccessibility of the wicks and owin to the fact'that the oil, being liquid when rst admitted and before the parts have become heated suficiently to vaporize thejoil, does not light readily.

The ob'ect of this invention is to so construct and arrange the ignition elements and the wick that the fuel may be very quickly and easily ignited.

This object is attained by forming the bodies of the wicks of braided or woven, strands of non-inflammable material, such as fibrous asbestos, and incorporating therewith metallic wires in such manner that they will hold the fire-resisting material together and keep the wicks in shape and at the same time will provide electric conductors having considerable resistance, and locating the ter minals of a high-tension electrical circuit adjacent to the. wicks in such positions that when the current is turned on it will jump from the terminals to the wires and cause such heat that the liquid fuel -with which the wicks are saturated is instantly converted into gas and the reoluired flame will result.

In the accompanying drawing, Fig. l is a lan of a double oil burner of the type rerred to, provided with the improved ignition means, the perforated shells and cover pieces being removed tfrom one burner and the electrical circuit being illustrated in diagram. Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken on the plane indicated by thecdotted line, 2-2, on Fig, 1. Fig. 3 illustrates in detail, on greatly enlarged scale, a portion of one composite wick and an electrical terminal adjacent to its upper edge.

1931'. Serial No. 551,51fl.

The bases, 1, of the burner shown are con nected by bars, 2, the center bar being utilized *tor the connection of a support. Each of the bases has a central pocket, 3, opening into the middle of which is a fuel intake pipe, l. Surrounding the central pocket are annular grooves, 5 and 6, in which are located" wicks, 7 and 8, Passages, 9, are-made from the central pocket to the inner groove, 5, and passages, 10, are made from the inner groove, 5, to the outervgroove, 6. A plate, 11, may be loosely placed over the central pocket. Supported by the walls of the groovesare tour concentric perforated-cylindrical shells, l2fand resting on the top of the shells are a cover plate, 13, and a cover ring, 14. There are openings, 15, through the bases inside of the inner shell, and openings, 16, through the bases between the intermediate shells.

The wicks, 7 and ,8, preferably have a body of woven strands, 17, of asbestos or the like non-inflammable substance, incorporated with which are conducting wires, l8.' Attached to the outer rims of the bases are insulating blocks, 19, through which pass circuit wires, 20. In the openings 16, between the inner and outer wick grooves are similar insulating blocks, 21, with circuit wires, 22..

It is preferred to arrange-these insulating blocks, which are both heat and electric insulators, so that the upper terminals of the wires, 20 and 22, will be opposite the passages from the central pocket to the innerwick groove and from the inner wick groove to the outer wick groove, as shown in Fig. l; and it is desirable to have the circuit wire terminals adjacent to the upper edges of the wicks. These circuit wires are connected with fixed terminals, 23, or a switch, 24, that controls circuit from a spark coil, 25, and bat tery, 26, which is grounded at 27. The wick conducting wires, 18, are grounded upon the bottom or sides of the base of the burner.

When the switchblade is thrown into engagement with one of the switch terminals,

a circuit is established from thespark coil to a circuit terminal adjacent to the wick,

liltl Jill together with the heating of the wiclr wires, immediately gasilies the liquid oil so that the-fuel ignites quickly. llt has been found that when the circuit terminals are located opposite the passages to the wick grooves there is more air than there would be if the terminals were not opposite the passages, and

the fuel lights almost at once, and it is desirable to have the circuit terminals slightly higher than the upper edges of the wichs,

/Vith this construction, the conducting wires in the wicks not only hold together the fibrous heat-resisting material of body of the wicks, but also form. heat-generating condiuctors which readily conduct the current and so add their heat to cause a rapid volatilization of the fuel oil,

The invention claimed is: l, oil burner comprising a metallic base provided with a central pocket and two concentric grooves, with a fuel intake opening said pochet fuel passages from the pocket to the inner groove from the in nor to the outer groove, wichs comprised of woven asbestos fibers and grounded electri= cal resistance wires, located in said grooves,

insulators fired to the base, circuit wires pas sing through said insulators and terminating,

3 one adjacent to the wire of the inner wiclr and'the other adjacentto the wire of the out-= er wiclr, and tension current producing means connected with the circuit wires;

2; An oil burner comprising a metallic base provided with a central pocket and two con centric grooves, with a fuel intake opening to said pocket and fuel passages from the pocket to the inner grove and from the inner to the outer. groove, wicks comprised ofwoven asbestos fibers and grounded electrical resistance wires located in said groove, insulators fixed to the base, circuit wires passing through said insulators and terminating, one adiacent to the wire of the inner wick opposite a fuel passage to the inner groove and the other adjacent to the wire of the out or wick opposite the fuel passage to the'outer groove, and high tension current producing means connected with the circuit wires,

3. An oil burner comprising a metallic base provided 'witha central pocket and two concentric grooves, Iwitha fuel intake 0 ening to said pocket and fuel passages thorn the pocket to the inner groove and from the inner to the outer groove, wicks com rised of woven asbestos fibers and grounde electrical resistance wires, located in said grooves, insulators-"fixed-to the base, circuit wires passing through said insulators and terminating, one adjacent to the wire ,of the inner wick opposite a fuel assage to the innor groove and the other a acent'to the wire of the outer wick o posite the fuel passage to the outer groove, igh tension current producing means connected with the circuit t rones.

, wires, and switching means for directing cur= rent to the diiderent circuit wires,

4:. An oil burner comprising a base having a fuel groove in its upper surface and means for aitting fuelto said groove, perforated tubular walls supported by said base and forming a combustion chamber above said oove, a fuel absorbent wick comprised of tire resisting fibers and electrical conducting wires located in said groove, said wires being grdunded thoughthe base, an insulator with an end extendin through shell into the combustion chamber, a circuit wire passing through hisulacor and adjacent to said wick, and'high tension current producmg means connected to said c ccuit wire whereby when the high tension current turned on it will jump from the of said circuit to the wires in the wicll,

5, An oil burner comprising a base having fuel groove in its upper surface and means for admitting fuel to said groovaepaced tu ill bular walls supported by said base and form= ing combustion chamber above said groove, fuel absorbent wick comprised of fire re sisting fibers and electrical conducting located said groove below said combustion chamber, said wires being grounded through the base, an insulated circuit wire through a shell and terminating adjacent to said wiclr, and high tension current produc ing means connected said circuit wire, whereb when the high tension cmrent is turned on it will jump from the terminal of said circuit wire to the wires in the wiclr and i nite the fuel contained therein,

oil burner comprising a base having concentric fuel grooves in its upper surface and means for admitting fuel to said grooves, erforated tubular walls supported by said base and forming concentric combustion lllii chambers above said grooves, fuel absorbent wicks comprised of fire resisting fibers and electrical conducting wires located in said grooves, said wires being grounded through the base, insulators with ends extending through the shells into the combustion chain bcrs, circuit wires passing through said lators and terminating adj acent to said wicks, high tension current producing means connected to said circuit wires, and means for dilater with an end exteng through a shell 130 llll into the combustion chamber, a circuit wire passin through said insulator and terminating a ]3.C8I1t to said Wick, and high tension current producing means connected to said circuit wire.

FRED W. 'BARHQFF. FRED BARHOFF, JR. 

